In 1979, a revolutionary new anime series named Mobile Suit Gundam from creator Yoshiyuki Tomino began airing on Japanese television. It was revolutionary for many reasons. It was completely unlike the super robot shows that were so popular in the 70's. Instead of being a special super robot, the title mecha of the series was a piece of military hardware. Also, instead of being a robot of the week show, Gundam was an advanced war drama. There were many other minor advances, such as no longer announcing ridiculous special moves. The superhero aspect seen in series such as Mazinger Z was totally gone. (Synopsis courtesy of Mahq.net)